Rainbow Redux

Bryn Socks

 You know how it's nearly impossible to decide what to knit next when you have a whole world of possibilities open to you? Well, after I completed my latest sample pair for the design about to be published I was at a complete loss. I could knit anything I wanted, something I hadn't had the opportunity to do for two months. The first thing I did was quickly finish up the Bryn Socks. That took all of 10 minutes. I love knitting worsted weight socks because of the nearly instant gratification but then I was done. What Now?!



I had three options:

1. I could work on my next design. Tempting but I decided I deserved a break since I'd just mailed off my Under the Sea idea. The sample for that would need to be knit so that I could actually write up a pattern, but it could wait.

Three Irish Girls Spring Mini Set on Kells

2. I could knit a sweater with the gorgeous Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Dusty Lavender that I scored at the Webs Tent Sale (If you've never been, my goodness you need to go. It's amazing!) on Saturday. Also tempting, but it would require a bit of thinking and I wasn't quite ready for that.

So that left option 3. I could give into temptation and knit the pair of socks that had been playing with my imagination for months now. Rainbow striped Kaiso.

I'd been thinking about knitting another pair of these socks for a while now. A few months ago while perusing Ravelry, I came across a pair of Kaiso that had been knit in multicolored bands. I loved idea behind them and knew instantly that I'd finally found a home for my Three Irish Girls Spring Mini Sampler Set on Kells. It was about time too - that set had been knit and frogged so many times as it tried to tell me what to. Well, I'm only about halfway through the first sock but it's love at first sight. How fun are these?!

Rainbow Kaiso - In progress

Completed!

It's done! My last pattern sample is done! It is currently blocking and drying and tempting me to put it on. I am so in love with this pattern. I can not wait until it is released.

Under The Sea fabric, available from Spoonflower

So, what do I do now? Work on another submission of course! This time my working theme is "Under The Sea", partially inspired by the adorable Spoonflower fabric on the left, and I'm exploring a technique I've never tried before. It's going well and the colors are so much fun to play with. I'm going with springy, fresh colors: hot pink, turquoise, lemon yellow, and lime green. It's such a change from my recent projects and a big breath of fresh air. I hope it works up as awesome as I'm envisioning it...fingers crossed!

Sock Summit Success!

I am a very happy sock knitter. Sock Summit 2011 registration went off without a hitch and I'm now an official Sock Summit Student!

What is my schedule?

• Making the Next Monkey - Amy Singer
• Kids' Socks - Sandi Rosner
• Knit Happy: The Psychology of Color in Knitting - Sharon McMahon
• Darn It! - Merike Saarniit
  

I also have a ticket to the Opening Night Reception. I really enjoyed all the speeches at the reception last time, so I thought it would be fun to go again. I only got a single ticket though - my husband and son would not enjoy the event so I thought I'd be a nice wife and mom and let them hang out in the hotel and swim or order a pizza. They will be dragged around to enough knitting events that weekend without it!


Now, the real fun begins! What do I knit to bring with me to wear? What projects should I bring? What shoes should I wear to show off my socks? Can I find a knitting tee shirt small enough for my son, in a 12 month size? Can I convince my husband to wear a knitting tee shirt? Should I make a Handmade By Jaia tee shirt? How little can I pack so that I have more room to bring home yarn? (I bought 32 skeins last time, plus 6 balls of roving, 2 drop spindles, 4 books, and some buttons, plus I had my official swag.)

Sock Summit 2009 Yarn and Fiber Haul!

Oh, and speaking of swag, this year I kept it to a Sock Summit pin, a few bumper stickers, and a pub glass. Last time I got a tee shirt but it fits all funny so I never wear it. I might make it into a tote bag to carry around the marketplace though...


My family is also planning to make a whole vacation out of the trip - in addition to the time spent in Portland, we plan to spend a few days visiting Seattle, my husband's old stomping grounds. I've never spent any time there beyond the airport but I know a lot of knitters in the area and I hear they have some great yarn shops! I'm looking forward to exploring both cities. My only previous explorations in Portland were the yarn shops, the Japanese Gardens, and Sur La Table. Any hints on where to go this time in Portland and/or Seattle?

Sock Summit Registration!!!

Today is Sock Summit Registration Day! I'm super excited that I'm able to attend again this year since it was an incredible experience in 2009. I met so many wonderful friends from Ravelry in person for the first time, learned a whole boatload of knitting skills, met some amazing knitting superstars, and of course, did some major stash enhancement.

After taking a full course load last time around and feeling over scheduled, I decided to try a different approach this year and limit my classes so that I can spend more time in the marketplace. I feel like I missed out on enough time shopping, watching the demos, and knitting with my friends. I will also have my son and husband with me this year and I'd rather be spending time with them too!

I've been pouring over the class listings all morning and I've narrowed it down to my two top choices and then two backups. Mostly, I've chosen the classes because I'm interested in the teachers themselves rather than the subject matter, though I find that interesting as well. Fingers crossed I get in! I'm also thinking about attending the Opening Ceremonies and what swag I want to order. Probably a beer glass and a few bumper stickers. I need to save my money for the marketplace.

In actual knitting news, I just finished the knitting the first half of a design sample that I'm so excited about. The yarn that was chosen is absolutely gorgeous and shows off the pattern better than I could have hoped. I can not wait to share this! Additionally, my Bryn socks are coming along nicely. I'm expecting to finish the first sock today. Hopefully the sun will come out so I can photograph it for sharing.

I'm off to go knit and wait for registration to begin. I can't wait to find out what classes I get into!